Who hasn't thought about what's it's like to make love to a friend? Does such a relationship have a chance to blossom into something more? Those are the exact questions Jacqueline Monroe must ask herself when her long time friend Caleb Sinclair invites her on a long weekend to a bed and breakfast.

The problem is Caleb is the ex-fiancé to her best friend and as far as she’s concerned that makes him off limits. Intent on telling him no, she somehow ends up allowing him to talk her into the excursion and in the process opens herself up to the possibilities of not only a weekend of steaming hot sex, but a real relationship, too. Something Jacqueline had both dreamed about and feared. After all real relationships means real pain if things go wrong. What she’s forgotten is Caleb isn’t just some hot stud; he’s also a friend who’s aware of her fears and will do whatever necessary to help her through them. Can she overcome her fear and take the leap of faith she needs to give true love a chance?

Be Mine is a sexy story about two friends discovering that sometimes you find love where you least expect it. Though the characters do seem to be genuine in their feelings for each other, I must admit that I was somewhat put off by Caleb’s alpha male nature. In my opinion there’s a fine line between being a strong hero and being domineering. In addition, I found Jacqueline’s choice of the less than lady-like language with her fellow teacher friend Lisa unnecessary. These women are supposed to be teaching elementary school children and I know I wouldn't want someone who speaks the way they were teaching my kids. These issues made it slightly difficult for me to connect to the characters early on in the story, and I feel that the author may have missed an opportunity to take this book to the next level and really immerse the reader in emotion.

Despite the personal issues I had with the story, I found Gwendolyn Cease’s book Be Mine to be a fairly good read. The sex scenes were definitely hot and well-written and as the story went on, I warmed up to the characters and seriously began to root for their happy ending. It’s definitely a story to help you warm up to on a cold fall or winter day.

 Reviewed By: Michelle Cary
© October 2007